Soybean (U.S.) or soya bean (UK) (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Fat-free (defatted) soybean meal is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds and many prepackaged meals;soy vegetable oil is another product of processing the soybean crop. For example, soybean products such as textured vegetable protein (TVP) are ingredients in many meat and dairy analogues. Soybeans produce significantly more protein per acre than most other uses of land.
Nigeria presently produces about 500,000 MT of Soybean annually making it the largest producer of the product on the African continent. Soybean is a legume which is produced in most the middle belt of the country with Benue state accounting for about 45% of the total production in country.
Soybeans are an important source of high quality and inexpensive protein and oil. With an average protein content of 40% and oil content of 20%, soybean has the highest protein content of all food crops and is second only to groundnut in terms of oil content amongst food legumes. Soybeans are used in the production of milk, edible oil and animal feed. It’s high protein content and price makes it the best option in terms of treating malnutrition and would continue to expand the international market for the product which currently is estimated at US$40 billion.
Soybean growth is influenced by climate and soil characteristics. Soybean performs well in the southern and northern Guinea savannas of Nigeria where rainfall is more than 700 mm. In Nigeria, soya beans are mostly produced in the middle belt with benue state accounting for over 70% of the production in Nigeria. Some of the states producing soya beans in Nigeria include Kwara, Kogi, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Niger, Bauchi, Ogun, and Taraba states. Other states are Adamawa, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Jigawa, Lagos, Plateau, Ekiti and the Federal Capital Territory.
Factors to consider before cultivating soya bean in Nigeria includes land, choice of variety, time of planting, seed rate, seed dressing, spacing and other agricultural practice.
Soybean matures within 3–4 months after planting and requires timely harvesting to check excessive yield losses. At maturity, the pod is straw- colored. It is recommended that soybean be harvested when about 85% of the pods have turned brown for a non-shattering variety but 80% for shattering varieties. Alternatively, the crop can be harvested when the seeds are at the hard-dough stage, when the seed moisture content is between 14 and 16%.
Soybean should be stored at a moisture content of 10% or less. A soybean seed is sufficiently dry when it cannot be dented with the teeth or fingernails.
Nigeria currently produces soybean worth $85 million in the international market and though most of the nation’s soybean is consumed locally where they are used in the production of soymilk and specially formulated foods to help malnourished infants and children, the international market for the product is growing and sustainable.
From the above, it is clear that a large and sustainable exist for soya bean cultivation and production in Nigeria for both local and export market.
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